Thank you guys so much for all of your kind words and support! I really appreciate it! Every single review of yours makes me really, really happy. :D

The story takes a pretty big turn at this point. Keep in mind that it's been a month and a half since the last chapter. Also, we're nearing the halfway mark for this story. Just an FYI.

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine, nor will they ever be. They belong to Rick Riordan. :(

Percy - roughly a month and a half later

These past couple months, I had been enjoying life more than I ever had. Even though things were getting busier with the gala coming up, I found myself swept up in my work. Time started passing by too quickly.

Silena's funeral had occurred a month-ish back. I cried my eyes out that day. Surprisingly, I also saw Chris there. Turns out, his now-fiancée Clarisse, who had come with him, was one of my old childhood bullies. It really is a small world. Clarisse was a lot nicer to me at the funeral, obviously. Apparently, she and Silena had gotten really close a couple years ago, and the latter was great at giving her love advice.

In other news, the police's investigation into Thorn was pretty much fruitless. Along with Thorn disappeared all possible forms of evidence that could point to his involvement in the shooting. They had promised me they would let me know once anything came up, but I knew that, since they had other things to worry about, they wouldn't focus on this case anymore.

On top of all that, Annabeth and I spent almost every day together, in some way or form. Whether it was just watching a movie after work or going to an amusement park together on the weekends. And I learned a lot more about her. I learned she was deathly afraid of spiders, she hated when people touched her stuff, and she kept a safe with nothing but a Yankees cap in it, because it was a gift from her late mother. She was also amazing at grabber-arm games. Once, we went to an arcade and for the five tickets we spent on it, she brought back six stuffed animals. She got two animals at a time at one point.

And with every passing day, I fell harder and harder for her. I became addicted to her every move, her every mannerism, and with every passing day, I wanted her more and more.

I knew it was unhealthy for me to feel that way, especially after only two months of knowing her. But it wasn't under my control anymore. I was completely taken with her. Over the past couple months, Annabeth had wormed her way into my circle and grasped my heart within her hands. And I was more than okay with it.

Today was the day of the Triton gala, and I was weirdly excited for it. I mean, obviously, I was always excited for it, but this time, i had a lot more butterflies. Partly because Annabeth was coming with me, partly because I had a feeling today was going to be a big night. There was just something coming that had my stomach churn and my hairs raised. I couldn't wait for the day to turn into night, so we could get the party started.

It was customary for the company to give its employees a holiday on the day of the gala, so I couldn't go to work and finish my outline for a possible new app (that would provide all of the stats regarding a water sample's pollution level with just one picture). So I had to just sit at home for the entire day and find something to do.

Quickly, I skimmed over the night's itinerary. There was the red carpet event, where international celebrities would lay their mark, followed by a short speech and dancing. After appetizers, there would be more dancing. There would also be various setups that displayed all of the projects that we were working on as a company and included interactive activities for everyone to enjoy (the all-time favorite was petting the baby sea turtles from our sea life research facilities). Dinner would come shortly afterward, featuring a performance from none other than Taylor Swift. Then, a short social hour with a band playing in the background. The night would end with dessert and a couple slow dances. Of course, there were the after parties, but I typically tried not to get involved in them. I had enough to do for the night, with troubleshooting and talking to guests.

I sighed. I had gone over this schedule only about a hundred times, but I still felt the need to review it again. It was just so nerve-wracking to be hosting for the world to see, and considering half the guests were full-blown celebrities, I had no choice but to impress them. Hopefully, they wouldn't find my speech too boring and turn to their phones. And hopefully, they actually liked the food. It would be a major problem if they didn't.

Gods, there were just so many things that could go wrong today.

And what if, Zeus forbid, the assassins managed to take some shots today? Oh gods, that would be terrible. Nobody would ever come to the gala again!

I took a deep breath, in and out. It was all I could do to keep myself from panicking. The security at the gala would be double to triple what there was that day at the office. Hopefully, before the assassins could get in, the officers would kick them out.

I opened my palm, only to find that it was soaked in sweat. No doubt because of my freaking out. I needed to chill.

And there was only one way I could really calm myself down.

I quickly changed into my swim trunks and went down to the pool. Swimming had been my passion for a long time. It helped me get through my extremely ADHD moments, and even served as a sort of therapy for me when I was generally stressed about life. It was there for me during my experiences with Gabe, the pressuring times of high school, and my founding years of Thalassa. Swimming helped me like a pacifier helped a baby. Except in a lot more mature terms. Mostly.

My apartment complex's pool was pretty big, but it was one of those kid-friendly ones with a really shallow end. I had hit my head on the pool's bottom more than a couple times when I was doing my turns. I warned myself not to do that today. If I did, my head would be spinning during hair and makeup.

I jumped into the pool, savoring the coolness of the water against my skin. The liquid rolled off my back as I resurfaced and swam a couple laps. I reveled in the feeling of droplets spilling from my hand as I lifted my arm at the end of a stroke. Ah. Much better.

I stopped at the shallow end and swished my arms from side to side. My heart rate slowed, my skin settled, and my muscles loosened. There was just something about the sound of water and the smell of chlorine that helped me relax so easily. No drug could rival this feeling of pure pleasure.

I swam for a good hour before reporting to my apartment for hair and makeup. I hated it, because it took so much time and really didn't make much of a difference on my face. But I was forced to do it anyway, thanks to Hazel. Zeus forbid I show up on camera with a single hair out of place.

I took a quick shower before the makeup artists came. Hours later, I looked like a black-haired Shawn Mendes, perfect skin and all.

As I stood in front of the door, watching the makeup people pack their stuff up, I grinned happily. It was actually happening! I was actually going to the gala with Annabeth! I would get to dance with her, have fun with her, embarrass myself in front of her, and overall show her an amazing time. I could introduce her to her favorite celebrities, treat her to gourmet dishes, and have her enjoy exclusive performances from incredible singers and dancers. I could almost imagine the twinkle in her eyes as we swept across the ballroom floors, or the upward curve of her lips as she savored the splendid taste of her food. Gods, I couldn't wait to show her what I could do for her. I would finally be able to give her an experience worthy of her magnificence.

Butch insisted on coming with me to the gala, so I let him drive me to Annabeth's. That way, the two of us could sit in the back together. Without doing anything questionable, of course. Hazel would kill me if I messed up either of our hairdos.

When I arrived at Annabeth's apartment, the door was open.

"Annabeth?" I called.

I heard a yelp come from inside the bathroom. Piper ran into the living room and cried, "Do not come in, Perseus Jackson!" Her face was fully made up and she rocked a light pink gown. Jason would faint in her arms for sure.

I raised my hands in surrender. "Don't worry. I won't. When's Jason coming?"

Piper's ears turned pink. "He said he'd be here soon."

At that moment, I felt a figure come up behind me. The familiar scent of citrus cologne filled my nostrils.

I turned around. It was Jason. To be more precise, it was a Jason whose mouth had dropped to the floor, and he probably needed help picking it up.

I slapped Jason's back and laughed, but soon enough, it was my turn to drop my jaw.

She walked out of the bathroom like a fairy prancing on lily pads, occasionally stumbling on her heels. She wore a V-necked, sleeveless, white silk gown with gold embellishments, reminiscent of an Ancient Greek dress. Her heels were a similar color, with gold-colored soles. Her makeup was very understated, except for gold highlights across her face and eyes.

And she looked drop-dead gorgeous. Her skirts rippled around her slim waist as if they were the moon's reflection on water. Her jewelry was like honey, dripping down her arching neck and pooling into a waistband that accentuated her incredible figure. That silky waterfall of honey-blonde hair cascaded down her tan shoulder and shimmered under the light. The silver eyeliner around her eyes made those beautiful grey orbs stand out even more, paralyzing me and rendering me speechless.

I didn't deserve that goddamn gorgeous woman.

"Wow." I croaked.

I could see her natural blush creeping through the makeup. "Wow yourself."

Piper laughed. "Well, we'd better get going. You don't want to be late for your own gala!"

I nodded profusely and escorted Annabeth out the door. The butterflies in my stomach metamorphosed into ginormous leaping kangaroos. There was no way I could stand being next to her for the whole six hours without dragging her into some closet to make out.

Jason and Piper left to their own car, so Annabeth and I sat together in my BMW's back seat, our fingers brushing each other's across the middle. We kept exchanging heated glances throughout our light conversation so often that I felt sorry for Butch. The sexual tension in the air was thicker than butter, and no doubt Butch wanted nothing to do with it.

Ages had passed by the time we finally arrived at the red carpet. Naturally, we were one of the first ones there, so all of the reporters and cameramen were waiting, bored. That is, until they caught sight of my car. Immediately after we pulled in, they all perked up, and the cameras started flashing.

I got out of the car. Ignoring the outburst of voices yelling at the sight of me, I walked around the trunk to open Annabeth's door for her,. The kangaroos in my stomach started slamming against my body in anxiousness as she stepped out and hooked her hand into my arm. The yelling grew louder.

I wrapped my arm tightly around Annabeth. I didn't want the reporters to startle her or make her nervous. I slammed the door shut and asked, "You ready?"

She nodded and placed her hand on my chest. I gulped. "Calm down, Percy. I'll be fine."

I smile broke out on my face. "How did you know?"

She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. My heart started pounding in my chest at the feel of her lips. My skin prickled. "Because I know you. Don't worry about me. I'm not the one who's giving a speech in front of hundreds of people."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for reminding me."

We walked forward together and started posing for the cameras. The camera lights were blinding and seemingly ceaseless. Questions started bombarding us, specifically me, from all directions. Who are you wearing? Who's the girl? Who is she wearing? Are you two dating?

For the most part, I ignored the questions and walked up the steps with Annabeth. However, some of the better ones, I chose to answer. Like what the goal was for this year's gala. And what work went into preparing for the big night.

A reporter snagged me at the end of the carpet and asked me about which designer made my outfit. I gave him my typical answer: that I knew as much about it as Ant-Man knew about spiders. I could almost imagine tomorrow's headlines: Perseus Jackson Makes Marvel Reference on the Red Carpet.

I took a deep breath as we escaped the confines of the carpet and entered the main hall. Finally. We were free.

I heard Annabeth let out a light squeal as we proceeded forward. "Is that Selena Gomez? And… oh my gods. Don't tell me that's Blake Lively. I love her!"

I chuckled and rested my hand over hers. "I'm going to have to check on how well everything's going, so do you want to stay here and socialize? Or do you want to come with me?"

Annabeth took on a contemplative expression. "I think Piper's coming soon, so I'll join her and let you do your job. Have fun!"

I gave her a weird face. "Fun? Doing work?"

She laughed adorably and waved me off. Smiling to myself, I strolled to the stage, greeting guests on the way there. I opened the curtains to find Hazel talking animatedly to the guy in charge of the lights. Frank stood awkwardly behind her and smiled when he saw me.

"Hey, Percy."

I gave him a quick hug. "Hey."

Hazel heard Frank and turned around to face me. The beads on her dress clinked together as she turned, creating a really cool sound. "Don't worry, Percy. I got this handled. I-"

"What's wrong?"

She frustratedly sighed. "The lights in the back don't rotate far enough, so the people in the back corners will be stuck in the dark."

A light bulb went off in my head. "Do you have any more of those bubbly ocean lamps?"

Hazel's eyes widened. "Oh yes! Thank you, Percy! You're a genius."

I glanced back at Frank, who shrugged. The lights guy looked at me gratefully, as if I had just saved him from getting fired (which, I likely had), and rushed off to finish his work. I quickly dismissed myself as well, and ran off to finish my rounds. After I ensured that everything was going fine and talked with the head event coordinator, I returned to the hall.

And wow. It seemed to be going really well. Celebrities and millionaires milled around the setups, marveling at the various projects we displayed and writing checks to help fund them. Every single guest was dressed in their finest ocean-themed getups and sported a smile on their faces. As a security guard held open the door at the far end of the room, I saw the country's finest stars posing for the cameras, showing off their greatest looks. One person was even wearing a fishbowl on her head. Ten bucks that was Lady Gaga.

I felt giddy inside. My company, my dear, beautiful baby, was getting this much attention. More people would become exposed to the problems that we faced on a day-to-day basis, which would definitely bring in more support. Our oceans would become so much safer and so much cleaner thanks to all this publicity. I wondered what Annabeth thought about the event. Maybe she had some recommendations that would make it even better.

I glanced at the table that I left Annabeth at, but she was nowhere to be seen. I looked around for Annabeth's blonde curls, but the closest I got was Paris Hilton. Stumped, I searched for where Piper was, because Annabeth said she would hang out with her. A couple more minutes of searching yielded me an image of Piper and Jason kissing, sans Annabeth.

I stepped off the stage and walked up to them, wondering if they would know where Annabeth went. Piper greeted me with a sarcastic, "Hey, Percy! Long time no see!"

I laughed. "Hey, have you seen Annabeth?"

Piper flinched, but her lighthearted expression didn't change. "I think she went to the bathroom. She said she didn't feel very good."

Concerned, I nodded. She had seemed okay when I first brought her here. Had someone said something to her? Or was it just that the nerves were getting to her?

I nodded to Piper in thanks and headed to the bathroom area. As a lady walked out the door, I asked her, "Did you see a blonde in a white dress inside, by any chance?"

The lady looked at me weirdly and shook her head. Sighing, I leaned against the wall next to the bathroom and pulled out my phone. I opened my texts and quickly typed to her: "hey, where r u?"

I stared at my phone for a good five minutes, waiting for a reply from her, but to no avail. I glanced at my watch. Six fifteen. I would have go up to give my speech within the next fifteen minutes. Frustrated, I walked back into the main room.

Everyone was already getting seated in preparation for the speech and appetizers. I walked back to my table with Jason and Piper, but Annabeth was nowhere to be seen. Jason glanced at me with a worried look on his face. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I just can't find Annabeth. I'm starting to get scared."

Piper assured, "She's probably fine. You know that girl. She's more than capable of handling herself."

I nervously smiled. "Doesn't mean I can't get worried."

That moment, a waiter tapped my shoulder and gestured to the stage. It was time for me to give my speech.

I nodded, and Jason held out his hand. "Good luck, Perce." We did our little handshake, and I followed the waiter backstage.

I wiped my sweaty hands on my pants and stretched a little for my grand entrance. Some of our staff had suggested that I do a humorous entrance, and they gave me this hugely embarrassing idea involving backup dancers, expensive shades, and a weird old song called Ocean Man. Unfortunately, the rest of the company had voted for it by a landslide, so I was stuck humiliating myself in front of half of Hollywood. The music had been revamped to make it sound more modern and danceable, but still.

The intro music started. I stepped into the elevator that would bring me onto the stage. Five. Breathe in. Four. Breathe out. Three. Remember the dance. Two. Don't freak out. One. Don't die.

They brought me up on stage, and I started lip syncing while doing the little jig that the dancers had taught me a while back. Immediately, the crowd burst into laughter. I fought to keep the blush from creeping up my neck as I did the scuba-diving move, the shuffle, and everything in between. But by the time my pitiful attempt at twerking came up, I had let my inner sass come through. I was no longer that nervous. The music flooded through my veins as I shimmied to the music. I almost didn't notice the back-up dancers anymore.

The music ended as soon as I stepped up to the mic and threw my shades out into the crowd. I let the audience's applause fade, and then I said, "Well, that was embarrassing." More laughter. I smiled. I guess my coworkers' idea worked.

I continued. "Thank you for coming, everybody. It truly means a lot to me and the company that you're down here tonight. I know that you would much rather rewatch the last season of Game of Thrones."

The audience was responding splendidly. Gods, this was a major step up from the formal, tight-lipped occasion it was last year.

The audience was so loud, I almost didn't hear the thump coming from underneath the stage. I looked beneath my feet and waited for a second, wondering if it would happen again. It didn't. Probably just the stage guys dropping something.

Once the audience had silenced, I couldn't wait for the thump anymore. I went on for a couple minutes about the importance of our mission and the various projects we were undertaking, before Ocean Man started playing again and I went back down on the elevator.

Now that my adrenaline rush had faded, my thoughts reverted back to Annabeth. Where was she? Was she okay? I grabbed my phone from the locker I had left it in before going onstage. One notification.

I bit my lip. Was it her? Had she texted me back?

I frantically entered in my passcode and opened my texts. My heart sunk as I read the new message I had gotten.

Annabeth: im so sorry. i just saw this. i decided to go home because i didnt feel well at all. vomited in the bathroom. i wanted to tell you but you were busy working. :(

I was baffled. She had seemed fine when I picked her up. Maybe a little less talkative though, but I had thought that was from the nerves. Perhaps it was really because she was sick.

I texted her back.

Me: it's okay. you missed my ocean man performance :(

Annabeth: piper sent me a video XD

The same waiter from before came up to me. "The appetizers are being served, sir. You probably want to return to your table."

I glanced at his name tag and smiled at him. "Call me Percy, Travis." But then I remembered that the waiter from before had the name Connor. "Do you have a twin?"

He grinned mischievously. "Yeah. I apologize in advance if you find food in his pockets, by the way."

I waved my hand as if to say 'no biggie'. "He can take all he wants."

Travis took me back to the table, where I finished texting Annabeth my "feel better" shpiel. The area briefly erupted into applause at the sight of me. In response, I smiled nervously and sat down in my chair.

The rest of the night went by swimmingly (ha). Dinner was great. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed Taylor Swift's intimate guitar performance, which quickly ascended into some of her more upbeat tracks. People asked me multiple interesting questions about Thalassa's projects that I think I answered pretty well.

But when the dancing started, especially the slow dancing, I found myself missing Annabeth. A lot. I probably would have been stepping on her feet, but it would have been fun to hang out with her a little more. I had been looking forward to seeing her enjoy the experience. It was a shame that she had to feel sick on the day of the best Triton gala yet.

And when the song Ocean played, I almost descended into tears, remembering that night in my car. I expressed my feelings to her through text.

Me: wish u were here. everyone's dancing. feeling a little lonely rn

I attached a video of Jason and Piper slow-dancing with her head on his chest. Five minutes later, Annabeth still hadn't replied. My heart sunk. I turned off my phone.

I just spent the rest of the night watching various couples and occasionally dancing with random heiresses. Piper forced Jason and me to dance with each other at one point, which was likely my most enjoyable dance of the evening. But it's funny how I had the least fun at the most successful Triton gala. Pretty depressing, too.

Roughly half an hour before the gala officially ended, Butch walked up to me with an apologetic look on his face. "Percy, I'm so sorry. My wife just went into labor, so I have to go now. Will you be okay?"

Labor? Meaning there would be a Baby Butch running around soon? I grinned. "Of course. Go get 'em."

Butch thanked me and left, half-running and half-skipping out the door.

As soon as I had bid the last of my guests goodbye and supervised the first half of cleanup, the waiter named Connor approached me. "Boss wants me to tell you you're good to go. He says he has everything handled."

"Are you sure? I can stay if you need me to."

Connor simpered. "Nah. I quote, 'Tell Mr. Jackson that he'd better get his butt out of here.'"

I laughed. "Ok. Thank you!"

Connor gave me a quick thumbs up and walked away. As he rambled through the hall, I caught a glimpse of him grabbing a chunk of breadstick out of his pocket. Huh. Travis was right.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. Finally. It was all over. I could sleep in peace for the first time in these last few months.

I hopped into my car and turned on the radio so that I wouldn't fall asleep on the way home. After cruising along for a good fifteen minutes, I looked in the rearview mirror. Hey, wasn't that dark grey Lexus right behind me back on Jefferson Drive?

I took a quick glance at the driver's face. Much of it was obscured by the darkness of the night, but I detected the glint of sunglasses through the front window. Who wore sunglasses at night?

Somebody who wanted to hide his face.

A feeling of dread crawled up my spine. Did that person just happen to live in the same apartment complex as me? Or was there something more sketchy going on?

I didn't think it was the paparazzi. Normally, the paps don't come in the form of one man driving in a small Lexus.

I decided to take a couple detours, just in case. I took a couple lefts, made a U-turn, and made those rights to come back to where I started off. The dark grey car was still behind me. I even went around a shopping complex, making sure to enter every possibly nook and cranny of the area. The car was on my tail every step of the way.

There was no way that person was just an unsuspecting driver. He was following me. For sure.

Thankfully, I knew these roads like I knew my own apartment. I decided to take my favorite detour - one which I often took when the paparazzi were after me. If there was one way I could lose somebody, it was by taking that detour.

Five minutes in, and the other car was gone. I did a little victory jig in my seat, before abruptly realizing the car was shaking as well. Then, I drove home as quickly as I could, ignoring the foreboding prickles that I felt on my skin. Once I was in the confines of my home, I would be safe.

As soon as I found myself stopped in the parking lot behind my apartment complex, I took a deep breath. Finally. That creepy stalker couldn't reach me here.

I slammed my car door shut and locked it with my keys. The 'chirp chirp' sound of the car locking filled the quiet night.

I shoved my keys into my pocket. Gods, it was cold. I should have brought a jacket. I still had my old high school varsity swim jacket. I contemplated wearing that again, just for the heck of it.

The sound of my loafers clicking along the sidewalk was the only noise I could here. And though I didn't expect anything more, it still creeped me out. Silence isn't always the best thing to hear when you've been followed and there's the threat of you dying.

I ducked under the large lilac bush that branched over the walkway. Then I stopped. I didn't even touch the bush. Why were there shuffling noises coming out of it?

I whirled around, but my sight was smothered by the splendid view of a dark-colored shirt. I gasped as I was thrown to the ground.

I blinked a couple times to clear my vision. There was a man sitting on top of me. The same man who was following me earlier, except without the sunglasses. His hand tightly grasped my collar. And his fist seemed to be moving toward me.

BAM. A searing pain expanded through my jaw as his fist connected with my face. My mouth filled with the pungent taste of blood.

The man pulled back his arm for another strike. I knew I had to do something quickly, but the man had my body glued to the sidewalk. Desperately, I kneed him in the back.

It didn't hurt him, but it caught him by surprise. He turned around, confused, and I threw him off of me. Within seconds, I was on my feet, in a fighting stance.

He ran towards me as if I were holding up a blood red flag and he were a raging bull. It was almost as if he were a Minotaur. I quickly sidestepped his blow and kicked him in the stomach. He groaned, but his belly was harder than a wall. I doubted it did anything except make him more angry.

Indeed. He roared with all his might and slammed me against the sidewalk again. I punched him in the nose and threw both my knees into his gut. He flew backwards and fell against the lilac bush. When he got up again, there was a man-shaped impression in the leaves.

I almost laughed, but he looked too furious for me to do anything but yelp in fear. He punched. I ducked. He tackled. I dodged. He landed a punch to my stomach, and the cycle repeated. But with every blow and every feint, my breath escaped me. Within seconds, I was wheezing in pain.

And I was in trouble. I could tell he was done with my shit and wanted to end me once and for all. He charged, but with a right uppercut, a hook, and a kick to the crotch, he was gone. He collapsed, a trail of blood leaking from the side of his mouth.

I slumped to the ground. My entire body was sore as heck. I was likely going to be covered with bruises by tomorrow morning. The taste of iron still permeated my mouth. My breaths were ragged as I gasped and coughed, scrounging for more air.

The sirens came and went. The police took me to their office, handed me an ice pack, questioned me, and brought me back home. Their detective praised me for having the balls to fight back. She promised me they would look into my attacker and find out what was going on. My parents even came in and checked on me. But all I could think about for those two hours was how I had knocked a man unconscious. Even if it was in self-defense, I had harmed a human being and had come out relatively unscathed. I was no longer the victim. I was the bully.

Oh, if Gabe could see me now.

I leaned against the sink and examined my reflection in the mirror. A bruise on my jaw and a split lip. A couple cuts on the inside of my mouth from when my teeth contacted my inner cheek. Countless more red and purple spots along my arms and torso. A scrape on my knee.

I should have been more careful. Two times now, I had ignored the fact that I had been threatened, and I stupidly decided to stare death in the face. Both times, somebody had been harmed because of me. Both times, I could have prevented what was to happen.

If only I had stayed home and kept myself apart from everybody else.

I resolved to do so for the rest of the week. I would work from home. There wasn't that much going on anyway, because the gala was over.

Oh. My. Gods. The gala. If that man had attacked me during the gala, or if somebody had tried to kill me during that time, hundreds of innocents would have been in danger. Hundreds. Because of my mindless actions.

My ringtone echoed through the eerie silence of my apartment. Frantically, I stumbled out of my bathroom and grabbed my phone from its charger.

Annabeth.

I rapidly picked up the call. "Hello?"

She sounded worried. "Percy? Are you okay?"

"I… yeah. I'm fine. Some dude assaulted me earlier. But I'm okay."

"Are you hurt?"

"Ummm..."

"Percy -"

"No, I'm serious, Wise Girl. I'm fine. You should see the other guy."

Annabeth seemed at loss for words. So I cut in.

"Are you feeling okay? Did you vomit again, or something?"

She seemed caught by surprise. She stammered, "I, yeah. I'm fine. I guess it was just a one-time thing. Hey, can I talk to you tomorrow? In person?"

I knitted my eyebrows. "Yeah, sure. Where do you want to meet?"

She paused for a second. "Maybe outside that bar where we first met?"

The bar where we first met, huh? Was she going to make some grand romantic gesture? Wasn't that my job?

"Sure. What time?"

"Maybe around eight at night. Is that okay?"

I confirmed it was. Then she ordered, "It's time for you to go to sleep. Rest well. Stay safe. I'll see you tomorrow, Percy."

For once, I listened.

A/N: Just a random comment, I'm not an avid Swiftie or anything, but in my opinion, Taylor Swift is a really amazing songwriter. She seemed like the most famous and longest-lived artist who would make sense as a performer for a gala like this, so I just casually included her.

Also, key events that the next chapter will play on: the thump in the floor and Annabeth's mysterious absence (Spoiler alert: she's not sick) :)

Thank you for reading! Any reviews would be much appreciated!